A Shot in the Dark
by DrawnInTwilight
Summary: It's been three years since the Reach was defeated and expelled from the galaxy. But the after effects are still ringing loud for Artemis as she tries to move on with a new identity. When Nightwing comes up with a plan to get back what they lost, can she risk her heart to get Wally back? Or will she end up risking much more for the life they took from her?
1. Chapter 1

_YJ - A Shot in the Dark_

"...and that's what it is, as it is," she said, smiling into the microphone as she clutched the left ear of her headphones to her head. "I'm your host Lucky Linda. Tune in tomorrow for more funny things from Hollywood, the bash of the day, an interview with Keystone City's own Mayor, Ron Velroc, and of course the best music you can find! That's all for me, folks! But don't touch that dial, Danny O's up next with your Nightly Crawl! And here's a few tunes to start you off!"

Her steel-grey eyes traveled up towards the words "on air" and she watched with her bright smile until the red light behind them died. Her smile left just as quickly and she pulled the headphones off to hang them on the mike stand.

"Great show, Linda!" a voice called over the speakers in the sound booth.

She smirked and pressed the intercom. "Thanks, Mac!"

"Are you sure you don't want to take over Danny's time slot too?" Mac nettled, followed by an indignant shout from the guy in the other booth with him.

"Not even if you paid me more," she said with a laugh, letting go of the button again to pull on her brown leather jacket. Besides, this was just a stepping stone, with any luck she'd get on the Keystone News team across the river by the end of the month.

"Going shooting?" Mac continued over the speakers. "Hit a couple targets for me!"

Smirking as she flipped her long blond hair out from under the collar of her jacket and gave a thumbs up. Going shooting was her excuse for any time she took off. Everyone knew she was an archery fan so it was easy to use, but it usually covered trips to see old friends or she wasn't feeling well. This time leaning towards the latter as she definitely felt a cold coming on.

With one more glance around, she sighed as she grabbed her bag and strode out of the booth. It barely took two minutes to jog down from their broadcast room to the building's main exit, and even less time to get to her motorcycle. The day was just ending, casting an orangey-red glow over the city as she drove to its skirts. To what was now a very familiar abandoned arcade. It made her feel old, to some extent, since she could remember days when she and her elder sister would sneak out to places like it where they'd grown up.

She was tempted to get off the bike when she stopped, taking off her helmet as she idled by the curb. She could have gone in just for nostalgia's sake, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop herself from activating the technology inside. Instead she took a breath, looking down to her bag and the crossbow that sat within. The slightest movement drew her attention, though not her gaze, to the growing shadows around her.

"They wouldn't mind, you know," a familiar voice said from behind her.

Instantly her crossbow was out, loaded, and aimed to fire, but a moment of recognition made her pause. "Aren't you and Dinah supposed to be out in the Caribbean or something?"

"Bermuda," the blonde man corrected, giving her a lopsided smile through his goatee as he leaned against a neighboring building in a way that made him look like a grown up boy-band member. He pushed off the brick and slipped his hands into his pockets as he strode up the pavement, nodding towards the crossbow. "Nice to see you're using your Christmas present."

She smirked, finally lowering her weapon if only to turn off the bike. "This one's from my birthday, actually," she said, setting the kickstand and dismounting. "The Christmas one needs a new string."

A smile came to the man's face and he stopped in front of her. "I always get those two mixed up," he said, pausing only a moment before he pulled her into a tight hug with a contented sigh. "It's good to see you, Artemis."

She snorted a laugh into the soft fabric of his grey suit, but her eyes began to tear up at the sound of him saying her birth name. "You say that every time you see me."

"No less true," he reported, not letting her go.

Artemis tried to laugh again, but it was painful. She knew why her former mentor was here. It had been three years since that night they'd saved the world. No, not they. He. The night HE saved the world by doing something that would take him away from her.

Memories surged forward, attacking her as brutally and effectively as if they were agents of the Reach too. She clutched her mentor's jacket, holding him as tightly as she dared while not wanting to show how much she wanted to crumble. There were very few people who could make her this vulnerable and she hated seeing the pity on their faces. The hurt it caused them to see her.

She'd been pretty good at hiding it for the first year, but when the one year anniversary had come along her view had taken a very dark turn. Landing her in the hospital, which made her guilt even worse. It had been a final straw for Green Arrow and the Flash. Aqualad had to forcibly restrict her from hero work.

Not that she'd gone quietly. She raised hell and pitched a fit, but when all was said and done, she couldn't blame them. Being an active part of the team, without him beside her, had been too much. So she'd moved, once she was cleared by her doctors and the League, to Keystone City-former home of Kid Flash-under the new identity of Linda Park.

Ollie still checked in on her, visiting on her days off or abducting her for vacations that he knew she couldn't afford. He was better than her own father in more ways than one. Though, really, her biological father and his friends had been added reasons to become someone else. As if to prove it, his hand went to check her forehead.

"So," Artemis said, pulling away and touching under her eyes to make sure her mascara wasn't running-though she was fairly sure most of it had already created a stain on Ollie's shirt. "What are you doing out here, then? Looking for dinner?"

He smiled and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "You know me too well."

She scoffed, giving him another one of her lopsided smiles. "I know you can't cook," she said, swinging a leg over her motorcycle again and detached the spare helmet, which she promptly tossed to him, "and you'd die if you'd tried."

Ollie raised an eyebrow at her, looking as though he was tempted to take her words as a challenge for a moment, but climbed onboard behind her as she kicked the bike into gear.

"Still not as good as Mom's," Artemis said, swirling her water glass. "But it's the best I can find in Keystone City."

She smiled as Ollie nodded in agreement, his mouth too full of curried chicken to actually answer. It was one of the things she loved about him. No, he definitely wouldn't have chosen any form of Asian cuisine as his go-to meal, but he never turned down anything spicy and kept up with her fairly well. There was only one other man who'd done so, but she still had to remind herself that he wasn't coming back.

Ollie's hand clasped hers and she looked up to see a concerned expression that made her blush. Apparently she'd gotten lost in thought again.

"Sorry," she said quickly, picking up her fork to make more of a dent in her food. It may have been three years but her appetite still hadn't improved. Only a quarter of the plate was cleared and she was already thinking of announcing that she was full.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Ollie assured her, his grip gently tightening around her hand.

Artemis gave him a weak smile, but she couldn't make herself agree with him. "Neither do you."

He didn't have an answer for that and it was a testament to those years of training that she still knew him so well. But there was something else in his expression that made her frown.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

Ollie set his own fork down and folded his hands between himself and his plate before he looked up again. "It's... for the League."

Her gaze narrowed. "What is?"

Their waitress appeared and Ollie quickly held up his card to pay with a flash of his famous playboy smile. The girl hurried off and Ollie turned his smile back to his protégé, whose frown only deepened.

Nothing else was said at the restaurant, outside of small talk that redirected any unwanted attention as they got back to her bike. Not long after which, Artemis found herself taking him home on his insistence to make sure she was actually doing as well as she claimed.

It didn't take long to get to her building and up to the seventh floor for her sprawling studio loft. Once upon a time the building had actually been a factory, for fabrics as far as she knew, but after decades of neglect someone had refurbished it into a hundred or so urban apartments. Surprisingly, Artemis had really taken a liking to the style and, as Linda, found it fit her "no backstory" life perfectly.

Ollie looked around, nodding and looking impressed if not pleased with her style, which she watched from the futon beneath the large windows. The flickering thought that the older man might actually proclaim that he liked it so much that he'd buy the building passed through her mind, and she wouldn't put it past him. But, eventually, he joined her on the futon with the mug of tea she'd poured.

"Very nice," he commented, still staring at the open beams and industrial fan far above them.

"Thanks," she said, smirking at him before sipping her own tea. "So... What does the League want?"

"Hmm?"

She frowned at his clueless expression. "At dinner," she reiterated. "You said you were here on League business."

"Oh, right," Ollie said, half choking on the tea. Clearing his throat he let out an intelligent, "Umm..."

She couldn't help rolling her eyes. "Oliver!"

"Okay, not quite League," he admitted. "But I am going to see Flash and his grandkid."

"Impulse?" Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because.. Did you hear what, uh, Nightwing-."

"Yeah," Artemis said quickly, cutting him off before the hope in her could rise. "Yeah, I heard."

Nightwing had actually called her first, two weeks after he'd taken a leave of absence from the team, as soon as he'd discovered this small possibility that... that Antarctica might not have... been what it looked like... He'd stayed in contact with her over the years, most recently having been only a few days ago. He wanted her to come with them when he and the Flash went down there to test their theory. But she couldn't. And she'd been doing her damnedest to keep them from getting her hopes too high, she didn't think she could handle it if they were wrong.

Oliver was looking at her with doe eyes right now, she didn't have to see him to know. And it was a look she avoided from him, since it always made her burst into tears. So she kept her eyes on her tea, forcing herself to take discrete breaths before she tried to change the subject.

"Did you get to listen to any of my show today?" she asked, plastering a smile onto her face when she looked up again. "That last one sounded like something you'd hum when barging in on a crook or something."

"Art-Linda, I-."

"No, really!" she urged, ignoring the fact that he wanted to return to the topic of... Antarctica. "It just had this rhythm to it-."

"Linda," Oliver said firmly, his expression was sympathetic even if it was stern. "You can't just ignore this."

"I'm not ignoring anything, Ollie," she informed him, though she definitely noticed how her hand had started shaking even if he hadn't.

"You are," he assured. "Nightwing wants you there, with him, to pull Wal-."

"Don't!" she gasped. "Please just don't."

"He's not dead, Artemis. I know you still love him."

"Shut up." Tears were stinging her eyes, threatening to over-take her.

"What are you scared of? That kid was over the moon about you! Are you scared that'd change just because of three years in the speed force?"

"No!" She snapped. If nothing else, she was sure he'd never change even if it had been three years in Gotham! That wasn't what worried her.

"Then what?" Oliver demanded and she got the distinct feeling that he was going to camp out in her livingroom if she refused.

She let out a small growl of irritation, partially wanting to throw her mug of tea at the wall. "Me!" she finally shouted. "I'm the one who's changed! Face it, Ollie, I'm the one who's had to go on. I'm not the girl he left in Stamford. Hell, I'm not even Artemis anymore! On the team or in civilian life! Even if I do get the job at KFMB and get to see him every once in a while-he may not even like Linda Park."

"Are you kidding?" Oliver yelped, shaking his head in disagreement before setting his mug down to hold her head, forcing her to look at him. "Yeah, it's a change, but it's not that big! You're still as smart and sassy as ever. You can still take down any opponent you come across and hit every target. You've got moxy, kid-."

"Moxy?" she couldn't help repeating, wiping at her eyes with a teasing smile. "Has Dinah been making you watch 1930's mobster movies again?"

"And this is Wally, we're talking about," he continued, smirking. " That kid would love you even if Zatanna turned you into a-."

"Watch it," she warned him, strangely feeling happy by his strange form of comforting.

Oliver gave her a grin, before he looked at her seriously. "I know you might not feeling exactly great, but we want you there."

She locked eyes with his as she thought it over. She knew it would kill her to be there, but somehow it'd be worse if Nightwing was right and she wasn't there. Especially when she didn't have a better reason to avoid it. "Which me?" she asked with a sigh. "Artemis or Linda?"

"Both," Oliver said, smiling even more brightly. "Now go get your bag, we've got a bioship to catch."

_**A/N:**__ Yep. Crossed into another fandom. *sigh* What can I tell you? I rather liked Young Justice and decided that the ending did not befit my continual love for Wally West. I grew up with him as my Flash so I needed to work everything out ^_^_


	2. Chapter 2

_Shot in the Dark (part 2)_

"This is so crash!" Bart Allen declared, jumping at a hyper speed which made him look more like a blur. Despite being fifteen, the speedster was still shorter than most of the team and just as skinny. He'd eventually come clean about the future he'd come from, so the fact that he was perpetually underweight wasn't as big a surprise anymore. But his worldly awareness was that of a five year old, which Artemis found both amusing and frustrating at the same time.

She cast his enthusiasm a smile, it was going far to keep her from panicking. When they'd first gotten picked up from the Allens' house, Artemis had been fairly sure that getting on the bioship was going to kill her just because of nerves and old memories. But Bart had instantly redirected her attention in his attempts to make her laugh, even though she was trying to keep her spirits low just in case. It wasn't that she didn't trust Cyborg's or Nightwing's or the Flash family's logic surrounding this. But... well... even the best logic had ways of going wrong. And if her heart had to shatter again, she'd rather not have it fall from too high of hopes.

Even with Bart, though, she couldn't keep out the sense of dread when she looked at the rapidly changing view out the bioship's windows, unconsciously tearing up the paper in her hands. Green Arrow gave her shoulder a tight squeeze. She felt tears fill her eyes as she glanced back at him to give a shaky smile.

"We'll get him back and then the world will get back on course and we can go for chicken wizzies and..." The kid rambled on at a breakneck pace that, eventually, Artemis was sure only Barry could actually hear. Or at least understand.

There was snow outside when the kid actually stopped and the bioship only traveled a few more minutes before they set down at the north pole.

"Well," Nightwing said, getting up from the controls and running a hand through his hair (a sign that he was truly tense). "Let's go see if Santa'll give us an early present, huh?"

Bart let out a whoop of joy and darted ahead of everyone to the ramp. Green Arrow and Barry followed, exchanging bemused smirks, with Cyborg right behind them along with some large pieces of technology. Artemis hesitated, not sure if she wanted to go out into the cold and help them or stay hidden away.

Nightwing's gloved hand appeared on her arm, dragging her eyes up to the younger man's face. He analyzed her for a moment, then offered a comforting smile. She gave a meek one back.

"It's pretty cold out there," he informed her, catching her a little off guard. "And you're not exactly dressed for it."

Artemis glanced down at her leather jacket and jeans. It was perfect for fall, possibly very late fall, but not snow. That and it was probably his way of saying that she wasn't looking too good.

"Want to stay on board so you don't turn into an archer-cicle?"

She made a face at him. That had been a sugar-coated order, not a suggestion. "Fine."

Nightwing gave her a grin and the sheer hope behind it nearly made her blush for even wanting to doubt him. Then, "Good, 'cause your cold'll probably turn into Pneumonia in what little you're wearing. And we really shouldn't be endangering civilians-"

"Oh shut up!"

With a laugh so close to the signature sound of his youth, the troll known as Nightwing bounded down the ship's ramp to join the others in the snow. Artemis followed a few paces, a smirk still on her face, unable to fight the excitement, before opting to sit on the ramp itself instead of going back in where it was warm. If they really were going to bring him back, she didn't want to miss any of it.

They hadn't moved that far away, only five or ten yards maybe. So she may not have been able to hear everything clearly if they'd been in quiet conversation, but they weren't. And she watched as Bart darted back and forth between members of their group.

It didn't take long for Cyborg's machine to get set up, which must have been monumental though to Artemis it only looked like an oversized hamster-wheel, and even less time before Barry and Bart had started running on it. The whole structure turned into a blur of red, yellow, and grey as it spun. Nightwing, Cyborg and Green Arrow stood a few feet away, dealing with what looked like the command console of the wheel.

She wasn't sure what was supposed to happen, what she should be looking for as she shivered where she sat. But soon enough she gasped as storm clouds appeared, bringing strong winds that whipped her golden hair wildly. Any sound from the men was drowned out and Artemis soon had to cover her ears in an attempt to block out the biting pain of the wind, not that it helped her fingers at all. She struggled to stand up again, holding onto the joist of the ramp in an effort to seek refuge in the ship.

The thought of going back inside, though, was obliterated as lighting struck the wheel, lighting it up like a carnival ride. But the speedsters didn't stop. In fact, she was fairly sure they were going faster, even as another bolt struck. It was something like watching a train wreck, she just couldn't get herself to look away-even with the temperature sinking through to her bones.

And she was glad she didn't.

Within the third lighting-strike, something strange began to happen. The blur of colors widened. Flickeringly. As though there might be another person, but he wasn't always there. The machine by Nightwing and Cyborg was starting to spazz and smoke. Green Arrow, having turned and seen Artemis on the ramp, was trying to make his way towards her against the wind. But her eyes remained glued on the Allens, feeling almost pained by how her hopes were fighting to rise.

There was something of an explosion, a burst of light and the electronics getting fried with a cloud of dust-like snow. Then there was silence.

A strange sort of calm fell over the wintery scene as the air cleared to reveal the still smoking machinery and five heroes in the snow. _No_, Artemis's breath hitched, _not five. Six_.

Nightwing and Cyborg were rushing forward. Green Arrow looked torn between getting to Artemis and helping his long-time teammate for a moment, but was soon sprinting back across the snow to pull Barry up to his feet again. With next to no effort, Cyborg hoisted a dazed Bart to his feet with a teasing comment that Artemis's ears wouldn't register. All she could hear was her heartbeat as her eyes settled on Nightwing.

The ebony haired man was crouching over a third figure in the bright yellow and red of a speedster's costume. It was tattered and torn and dirty with who knew what, but even if Bart hadn't taking to wearing the outfit she'd remember the Kid Flash uniform anywhere.

Artemis stared. Her lungs had forgotten how to breathe and her heart couldn't figure out how to beat again. But, really, since her brain had stopped functioning, it didn't matter. For all she could tell, she'd just been struck dead.

The others were saying things, muffled comments and questions that she couldn't understand. She couldn't really see them either, though. All she could see was the tattered and torn uniform she knew so well. Blinding yellow clashing with ruby red against patches of pale peach skin.

He looked awful. His skin was paler than she remembered, but it also had more bruises and cuts than what had been there too. His large green eyes looked a little vague and confused (not that she could blame anyone for that one, she was pretty sure she looked just as dazed), but they locked onto her. Same familiar emeralds below short scraggles of red hair.

"Wally."

It came out as a whisper, but for all that was in her she wanted to scream it. Then the world started to tilt.

"Artemis!"

She wasn't sure who'd said it, or why. But he was moving again. Shoving off from Nightwing to get to his feet, despite his numerous injuries and other ailments, and before she could even register that he was standing, she was wrapped up in arms that were so heartbreakingly familiar.

Her own movements felt slow and sluggish as she forced her arms to "get traught" and hug him back. When they finally complied, though, a tear broke free from her eyes, bringing back all her senses and she hugged him more tightly than she ever had.

Which might have been a good thing, since scarce moments later his grip slackened a little. She moved to pull back, worried that she'd hurt him, but he quickly strained to keep her there. For all he cared, she was sure, they could just live out their lived like this. And she couldn't think of anything else she'd like more.

More mutterings and shouts took place, but she still couldn't hear them. She could hear her heart. She could hear his. And she could hear him breathing. That was all she needed in life. Well, that and maybe to be rid of these stupid heeled boots.

A set of fingers snapped in front of her nose, the sharp sound cutting through to pull her back enough to realize that Nightwing's face was only inches away. He looked anxious and far too stressed out. The kid needed to take a vacation, that much was obvious. "Artemis," he said in a controlled calm, but even through those white protective lenses she could see him searching her face for further distress. "Artemis, we need to get you guys into the bioship. You're going to freeze, you can hug it out later..."

His words faded to a senseless series of sounds, muffled by forces that Artemis couldn't name and a tiredness that came from out of nowhere. Her eyelids fought to stay open, which made Nightwing's shoot wide and he quickly motioned to someone else.

Vaguely she felt a set of hands reach under her arms and start to pull her upward while another set went for Wally. Then, even though it felt like her senses had been shorted, she was very aware of Wally being pulled away. And judging by the tension that returned to his hold, so was he.

"Wally!" she gasped, surprised how sore her throat felt, and tried to hold onto him even more. But whoever had taken hold of her was definitely stronger than she was and it didn't help that she was shaking.

"No!" Wally crowed, fighting just as pitifully to get back into her arms.

She reached for him, but barely seconds later her world had collapsed into darkness.

_**A/N:**__ Yeah, a bit of drama lol I'm glad you guys seem to be enjoying this! But... sadly I think there's only one more chapter to this... and you may not like it *sidles off whistling*_


	3. Chapter 3

_A Shot in the Dark (part 3)_

She didn't really remember much after that. The only thing she distinctly knew was that someone had said a quick apology before she'd felt a pinch in her arm. Then... well... the next full thought she had was waking up in a panic in the medical bay of the Watchtower, which had sent her crashing out of the bed and cracking her elbow against the floor tiles.

Which, of course, brought in Nightwing.

"Art-!"

"Where's Wally?!" she demanded, batting him away as he tried to help her back to her feet.

"He's down the hall," he answered readily, knowing only too well that keeping the answer wouldn't calm her down any faster. "They had to fix him up and run some tests, but he looks like he's going to be fine. You, on the other hand, had to be treated for shock after you were sedated."

"Sedated?!" she snapped, now understanding why her head felt like it was pounding. "You didn't sedate me-You _tranquilized_ me!"

"Yeah, same difference," Nightwing countered

Snorting in disbelief, Artemis started pulling the cords attached to her arms. The IV hurt, bringing a grimace a bit for that split second, but she was already ripping the heart monitors off.

"No. Stop it! Art-knock it off!" Nightwing reprimanded, grabbing hold of her and forcibly squashing her back into the pillow. "I also had to hit you up with a massive antibiotic. So for the sake of our all our sanity-stay put."

Artemis glared at him as the words sank in, which only made her ask warily, "How long have I been out?"

"Roughly two days," Nightwing answered, feeling she was sane enough that he could get off her to sit in the bedside chair. "You know, if you'd told us you had a cold-."

"It wouldn't have changed much," Artemis pointed out.

"No, but we'd at least have tried to keep you on the bioship," he said with a frown. "Or forced you to change your clothes... I'm sorry about that, by the way."

Artemis snorted. "It was my own stupidity for wearing what I had."

"Yeah, but I forgot you weren't in even under-armor," he groaned. "Let alone a uniform."

"Again, my fault," Artemis said firmly. "I knew where we were going and didn't think to change."

"But-."

"Okay, that's enough Mr Self-loathing," Artemis announced. "You can't control all aspects. Being a friend of Wally's you should know that just because it's science. So let me out of this bed before I beat that knowledge back into you."

It took a moment, but eventually she was getting that wry smirk to let her know her words had gotten through to him. So she smiled back briefly, before turning her expression determined again.

"Now take me to Wally."

Monitors beeped away in a merry little symphony, assuring Artemis that the man laying beneath the sheets was in fact real. Though, really, she wasn't sure if she'd put it past her imagination to show something like this just to torment her mind.

He looked awful. The uniform was gone, now he was dressed in some blue scrubs that just amplified how pale he was under his freckles. Even his freckles actually seemed like they were lacking.

Nightwing nudged her forward a couple steps, making her look back and glare at him as the color rose in her face. But the former boy-wonder merely grinned and walked away from the doorframe. Back down the hall, hopefully to troll someone else for a while.

As she turned back to Wally, Artemis found herself taking a shaky breath. Still terrified that this wouldn't be real. Those beeping sounds were her alarm clock or toaster oven or who knows what else, and they were telling her to snap out of it. But she really didn't want to.

It had been hard enough finding a way to go on without him. Harder still to take on an entirely new identity, without any friendly face to help her this time, just so certain enemies she'd created wouldn't get the chance to kill her. There had been many times, she realized as she sat next to the prone figure of the man she loved, when she'd wondered why she was putting up such a fight to live. It would have been so easy to give up, even after Nightwing and Green Arrow had stopped her from doing so. Until now she hadn't realized what was making her hold on. Making her fight.

"This was it," she mumbled to herself as she gingerly brushed the back of his hand with the tip of her finger. "I was waiting for him."

His skin was still soft and radiating warmth. The IV's must have had some form of nutrient in it, that was the only way he could be healing at all. Even at that point, though. It had been three years. She was surprised to realize that part of her half expected him to look something like Bart did when they first met-practically skin and bones and in dire need of being fed.

She moved away from his hands to reach for the chart hanging at the foot of his bed. She wasn't a doctor, but thanks to her little stay in the hospital so long ago followed by watching far too much of those medical dramas on TV she'd become fairly savvy. Or at least enough so that she could read a patient chart.

One of the first observations listed made her snort. "Malnourished, dehydrated," she read off, shaking her head. "Gee, you think? Multiple lacerations to head, neck, torso, arms, legs-in other words, _everywhere_... Dislocated shoulder... Broken patella and femur, which they had to rebrake because it didn't heal correctly... Bottom of feet-"

"Playing doctor?"

The question made her drop the clipboard, sending it clattering to the floor with a noise that nearly shut off her hearing for a moment. Of course, judging by the grimace, for him it must have been worse. She quickly stooped down to replace the board on the foot of the bed as Wally let out a small groan.

"H-how are you feeling?" she asked, sitting next to him again but suddenly too afraid to touch.

Wally gave her a wry smirk. "Like I got... sat on," he weezed. "By an elephant... Beast Boy's...not here, right?"

She laughed, even though she was sure that it sounded desperate through the tears that were threatening to spill over. His playful smirk softened to simply a loving smile and he moved his hand closer to hers, which took an effort she wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been in his eyes, and gave what he could of a squeeze.

It killed her.

All she wanted to do was smile like he was. To imagine that the past three years hadn't existed-hell, include the year before that too! The year that ripped him from her side. But they had. And even if time hadn't mattered to Wally, far too many problems had filled the years for her.

"Toldja."

She blinked repeatedly in an effort to keep wiping her eyes. "W-what?"

"I toldja," he rasped, pausing to lick his dry lips. "Toldja... we're goin... to Paris."

Artemis stared at him, despite the sting as her eyes started to go glassy.

He gave her a shadow of his familiar cheeky smirk. "I couldn... couldn't let you think... I'm a liar."

She was at a loss. All sorts of emotions just sort of exploded at that and she did the only thing she could think of-she smacked his arm.

"Ow!" he gasped, but before he could even fathom what was happening, Artemis had wrapped her arms around him again and was crying into his collarbone.

Wally closed his eyes with a contented smile on his face as he did what he could to hold her too. Yeah, there was still pain and his throat felt as though someone had poured salt down it, but he'd rather be holding her through any agony his body could throw at him than not do it and be numb. And, really, the feel of her in his arms again was enough comfort to help him ignore all the pain there was.

Breathing words of comfort into her hair, Wally twirled a lock of the golden tresses around his fingers, savoring the feel he'd missed for so long. Honestly, he was surprised that he hadn't gone crazy for his time in the speed force. Not for lack of possibility, of course. It would have been very easy to just keep going, let himself be pulled apart and scattered through the universe. Maybe become part of the wind.

He remembered thinking about his home life. About happy memories with his Aunt and Uncle, Mom and Dad, his best friend Dick Grayson, the early days of the team, even Bart. Somehow that kid had built a little niche in Wally's heart in the short month or two they'd shared. But the strongest memories were bittersweet.

The memories of Artemis. How she could dance on his last nerve and hit him when he did something that she considered stupid, then practically read his mind when they were fighting an enemy. How her smile could light up her face when she laughed and how she barely cried. But she was beautiful when she did. Painstakingly.

It was her voice that called to him as he ran. He knew she'd been there, the only words she'd said echoed in the forces that guided him.

"Wait!... Where's Wally?... No... No. No. No. _No!_"

Each one of the heartbroken sobs that followed had wracked his body as much as those bolts of electricity. He'd felt her crying out his name, knowing that it would be Nightwing who'd eventually pull her away.

Day after day, her voice would find him. Not always the destroyed tears from his disappearance, though. Sometimes it'd just be her laugh, a little huff of breath through the nose when she thought his comment was too cheesy to be comment on. Or her saying his name. Mostly it was his name, just because she'd say it so many ways.

He'd actually been getting pretty good at understanding what each tone meant, before all this had happened. And now, with her curled next to him, all he wanted was to get back to that point again. Back to knowing her even better than he knew himself.

It was a good three to five hours later when Artemis disentangled herself from Wally's arms, nearly losing the battle when she saw how much of her hair he'd twined between his fingers. It wasn't that she'd wanted to, but more the extent that she knew she probably shouldn't aggravate his condition anymore. Speed healing or not, judging by his chart he might as well have been tossed into a blender and that was going to take some time to heal.

So she settled herself back into the visitors' chair and brushed his hair off his forehead before kicking her feet up onto the bed next to his. Fully over her initial shock and that bitterness for having had to suffer for so long, Artemis was completely content with staying here while he got better.

"I shoulda known to look in here first."

Artemis looked to the door at the sound of her mentor's voice and smiled as Green Arrow strolled to her side. He returned the smile, then looked to the redhead. "He's lookin good," he said. "Or, well, better than when we first got him."

She smiled, resting her chin on her arms against the bed and humming in agreement.

"So..." Green Arrow said slowly, rocking on his heels a little. "You two are moving back to the West Coast, right?"

"Oliver," she groaned good-nautredly.

"I know this great rental across the bay," the blonde man offered with a grin.

Artemis just laughed softly and shook her head. "Who knows?"

His green-gloved hand rested on her shoulder, gently giving a squeeze that showed how happy he was for them. Smiling, Artemis tilted her head so her ear was resting on his fingers. For the first time in her life, she let her thoughts run wild with thoughts of the future-a bright future with Oliver and Dinah and everyone stopping by and Wally smiling from the grill. And maybe even a couple of kids... you know, somewhere down the road. Just happy and exciting and-.

"Linda."

Just two syllables and they made her heart plummet.

Nightwing never called her that. Even in civvies, he always used something from the arsenal of nicknames he'd given her over time. Stinger, Hood, Queenie, Minx-Arty even! Any and all had slowly become acceptable to respond to, even if she was rolling her eyes as she did so. But "Linda." Her new name. That was something that had only graced his lips twice in their life time. And she knew what it meant.

It was time to get back to Keystone City.

Just like that it felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest again. But there was little choice left if it comes to an assassin being out for your blood. She hated it, hated him for it, but she'd be damned if she let Wally get hurt for it. And so she found herself rigidly pushing onto her feet, staggering a little as she met her former teammate at the door.

She paused when Nightwing gripped her shoulder, similar to how Green Arrow had, and granted herself one last look at the man she was losing again. Then started down the medical corridor of the Watchtower with a resolute stride.

"I don't see why she can't come to my place," Green Arrow grumbled, following along side the Bat-Brat. "We have top security-Hell, the _president_ doesn't even have the security my estate does!"

"He'll look there," Nightwing affirmed. "He spent over a month with her-."

"_Years_ ago!" Arrow pointed out, daftly stopping as they waited for the elevator. "And he wasn't at the big reveal. He might not even know she was Tigress!"

"And what?" the younger hero asked, folding his arms as they got onto the lift. "You're willing to risk it? To risk _her_?"

"It's not a risk if I'm the one protecting her," the archer insisted.

"Oh c'mon, GA," Nightwing groaned as the doors opened to the general lobby where three large zeta tubes waited for them. "She shouldn't even be going back to her current apartment! What are you gonna do? Lock her in the mansion and blow your own cover by staying there all day too?"

"If I have to," Green Arrow snapped, bristling that he had to defend himself. "She's my niece!"

"Honorary!" Nightwing shouted back. "You aren't _actually_ related!"

"And since when has something like blood stopped _you_ from claiming family?" the Emerald Archer demanded.

"Okay. Stop!"

Both men jolted at the voice, as though they'd forgotten that the subject of their debate was standing mere feet in front of them. Had she been looking, she'd have seen the sheepish blush that came to their faces as they both seemed to move away from each other like school children who'd been caught throwing mud. As it was, she had her back to them, far more focused on controlling her own emotions than theirs.

Still, at some point, if you can't hear your own thoughts it's a sign that you need to step in. So she turned to them even though there were still tears in her eyes, but she wore a glare that Batman might have been proud of. "Look," she said after a breath or two. "I know you both like being right and I wish I could agree with both of you. But, Oliver, I've got a life set up in Keystone already. And, Dick, I'm not moving to Alaska. So just...stop. Okay? I-I can't deal with you two on top of...of everything else."

The two masked men looked even more guilty as she looked from one to the other.

"I'm going back to Keystone City," she told them, her heartbreak seeping into her voice. "My name is Linda Park, I'm a radio show host, and, hopefully, I'll be getting that job with channel four. I've never met the Flash, Kid Flash, or Wally West. The only thing I know about heroes is that they saved the planet at some point."

As she spoke, Artemis slowly typed in her commands to activate the zeta portal. Feeling dismal, but wanting to savor what might be her last chance to actually use the pass codes."You'll, uh," she tried to hide the sniff and blinked rapidly. "You'll look after him, right?"

Nightwing's gloved hand covered her's, bringing her gaze up to see him and Green Arrow giving her what they could of encouraging smiles.

"We've got it," her former teammate promised before his hand gently combed away some of her blonde locks. "Change your hair this time."

Artemis found a way to give a small laugh, though it actually made the tears spring forward and she found herself being tightly hugged by the man who'd once told her to "get traught" when a situation went dire. He let go moments later and gave her another smile before Green Arrow stepped forward to embrace her, too.

"I'll drop by next Thursday," he informed her. "Find the best barbeque place in town, okay?"

She laughed again, wiping her eyes as she gave the man a lopsided smile. Then she pulled free to hit the activation button, sending the zeta streams swirling ahead of her.

"Artemis. B-07," a robotic voice announced, bringing with it a familiar tingling sensation as she was pulled into the swirl of colors.

With one last look back at two of the three men she loved most, Artemis kissed her past good-bye and turned to walk through the run-down arcade to her future.

_**A/N:**__ Aaaaand I'm not sorry. :D But never fear, I ain't finished yet!_


	4. Chapter 4

A Shot in the Dark (part 4)

"Anything for the citizens of Central City," the Flash said with a chuckle to his voice and a bright smile.

Artemis felt her stomach twist when she recognized the Flash's voice. This wasn't the Flash she'd grown up with, she didn't even need to look at the difference in how Mrs Allen was reacting to him to know that.

The voice belonged to Wally West. And it was taking everything Artemis had in her to keep from running up to the hero and either hitting or kissing him.

Instead, she forced her smile to stay merely mysterious as she called out for his attention. It had been nearly four months since she'd gone completely into her disguise as Linda Park. Four months of being only as connected with hero activity as her job made her. If she was going to deal with Wally being the new Flash, fine-but she was going to troll the so called "Forensic Scientist" inside the suit for not being able to recognize her.

He picked her hand out of the crowd, giving a smiling nod to urge her question forward. For a moment she blanked, having thought too quickly in getting noticed, but years of working with Dick Grayson had its advantages. "Flash, your fight with Captain Cold ranged all over Central-and then into Keystone City," she heard herself say over the ringing in her ears as his eyes locked onto her, and she fought down the smirk that she felt coming to her lips. "Do either of the cities have an allotted budget to repair all the damage caused?"

Wally's grin faltered for a moment at the mildly accusatory tone her voice had taken, but he caught himself and gave a bemused laugh that only two in the crowd of reporters could tell was forced as others joined in the clamor. "I don't know, actually," he admitted. "But I'll be helping put everything right if I can."

There were more shouts of questions, but Wally dodged them and quickly ended the press conference with an announcement that he had to dash (or something equally cheesy) before taking off as quickly as though he'd simply disappeared. Leaving only a breeze that moved Artemis's hair ever so slightly as he passed. For that split second, her heart's pace doubled as her thoughts locked onto the numerous scars her vigilante career had given her, but if Deliah's make up was as good as everyone claimed, then she didn't have to worry. But still...

With a few more statements on the events of the day, Artemis signed off her report and handed the broadcast back to those in the studio. Much to the delight of her camera man, David Blake.

"Nice run, as always," he informed her as he lowered his camera to cover the lens. "Got a thing against the Flash?"

Artemis shot him a grin as she twined the microphone's chord around her elbow. "I've got a thing against people who don't clean up the messes they make."

"Ah. Big difference," he said, chuckling. "Remind me not to let you near my wife."

"Ooh, too late, remember?" Artemis teased. "She's invited me over for dinner tomorrow."

David laughed. "You better be joking."

He gave her a beseeching look. They'd only been working with each other for about a month and a half, and he was still not fully sure when she was being sarcastic. Enjoying the day's outcome of rattling people's nerves, Artemis just smiled vaguely and began walking the microphone to the van.

"Linda?" he called after her, jogging with his equipment to join her when she opened the van's sliding door. "Tell me this is just your Yankee sense of humor!"

That made her laugh as she tucked the mic into its appropriated case, turning to face him with her hands on her hips. "Would it matter if it isn't?"

The man blanched slightly. The station had already had it's yearly family picnic, so Artemis had actually met the Blake family and, after hearing David's tirade for having inspired the woman to force him to clean more, she could definitely understand why he wanted her to stay well away. Which, of course, made her laugh.

David sighed a little in relief and tucked the rest of his equipment away. "Button-presser," he muttered.

"Only when there's buttons to press," she said with a bright smile as she swung herself into the passenger seat, then leaned out the window. "Speaking of buttons, I claim radio rights!"

"What?" he yelped and climbed into the van before sliding the door shut. "Oh no you don't! You're not touching my radio, kid!"

"It's not fair!" she whined as he climbed through to the driver's seat. "All you listen to is country!"

"What do you have against country music?" David demanded and started the car.

"Oh, nothing," Artemis said, rolling her eyes and steeling herself for the next few hours of banjos. "Unless it's the only thing you listen to! C'mon! You're not that much older than me! Haven't you ever listened to anything else? Classic rock? Oldies? Hell, the 80's would be a blessing at this point!"

"Hey! Nothing's wrong with the 80's either!" David cried out in mock offense.

Artemis let out an over-dramatic groan, as was her custom, and dropped the debate a little sooner than usual. Her mind, instead, traveling back to Wally. He was the Flash now? But what had happened to Barry? Had he... No. No, Dick would've come out and told her if Barry went down in action...

Wally looked like he was doing well, though. The hero life still suited him, and she'd be lying if she wasn't just a little bitter about that. There he was perfectly fine, back from the dead, and schmoozing everybody he came in contact with. He was doing great without her. But when she'd lost him? Yeah, she'd fallen to pieces._ Just goes to show that Dad was right_.

"You okay over there, Lindy?"

David was throwing her semi-concerned glances as he wove his way down the highway, so Artemis straightened in her seat and nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Just perfect."

It didn't take a genius to know he didn't believe her.

"So," she continued loudly. "You gonna help me on that disappearances story?"

"The streetcar babies?" David asked, his eyebrows shooting up before he adamantly shook his head. "Are you crazy? Do you seriously want someone to kill you? Even the head of the station's told you it's better to drop it."

"And that's why it needs to be looked into," Artemis insisted. "I can take care of myself, I just prefer shooting live footage."

"No, Linda," he said firmly. "I'm not taking that up and neither are you."

"David-."

"Nope!" And with that he started blasting the jangling guitars of some crooning cow-poke. His way of ending conversations.

After bidding David a "good night" at the station and telling him to spoil the kids for her, Artemis hopped on her motorcycle and cruised across the city to her apartment, stopping for Chinese take-out along the way. She passed a few friendly faces along the way, neighbors from her apartment building, and she remembered to smile back at them as though it didn't weird her out ever so slightly. What could she say? She was from Gotham, smiles from passers-by usually meant you were going to get mugged.

Granted, as time had gone by, she'd found ways to make herself look too busy for conversations. Especially when Ms. Greene came round the corner. Like tonight, where she had her purse in one hand while she dug for her keys with the other, mail under her arm and food bag in her teeth. So the far-too-nosey woman simply gave her information about others (that she really didn't care about) before announcing that she was trying out a Zumba class and promptly continued down the next flight of stairs.

Finally getting the door unlocked, Artemis ducked quickly inside and leaned on the door as it closed again, kicking her shoes to the side in the process. She sighed, finding herself strangely comfortable in the condensed open space, and flicked on a light before leaning over the kitchen counter to retrieve a fork. Then she sauntered the short distance to her living room couch, where she plopped the bag of delicious smelling onto the glass coffee table and turned on the tv as she started retrieving the little containers of rice, Lo Mein, and General Tso's.

She flipped through the dozens of channels until she found the old movies channel and sat back with a smile, tucking her feet beneath her as she set into the glazed chicken. She wasn't sure what movie this was, something about an art thief so far as she could gather, but it had plenty of laughs to it. And she needed that after a day like this. It wasn't that she'd been particularly terrified by Captain Cold's attack on the cities-hell, she'd been the first reporter to rush along after them-but being that close to Wally. That was draining. And painful.

Artemis curled back into the green pillows, tucking into something of a ball as she fought off the bittersweet emotions tied to the redhead. She did well, considering how much practice she'd had at it, but still a tear managed to get loose and she found herself changing the channel to some classic cartoons. After a few slap-stick moments with Bugs Bunny besting both Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck, she felt a familiar calm settle in.

It wasn't a particularly happy mood, but it brought on a clarity that she'd learned was perfect for working. So without wasting another moment, she got to her feet and pulled at a piece of the wall next to her television screen. When she'd first moved in she'd noticed it. A random sheet of something resembling dry-wall that was just begging to hide a secret. And, really, as long as it didn't look like damage the landlord wouldn't care.

_How long had it been since I've focused on this?_ she wondered. The darn thing was almost stuck. But after a little tugging it did swing open and Artemis found herself staring at dozens of print-outs and news clippings held in place by thumb tacks or staples or blue putty. There was also string. Lots of string. Of different colors too, all twisting together and making a strange sort of psychedelic spider's web.

She knew it was leaning towards obsessive, but she couldn't help it. Someone wanted her dead and the only way she could keep herself from going crazy as she waited for an attempt on her life to happen was to start putting puzzle pieces together herself. Well, not entirely by herself. Oliver would help when he could and Nightwing continuously got her updates on what he knew. But both of them had busy lives and other cases to focus on with their hero duties.

From what she could gather, it was someone in the Light. Probably tied closely to the Reach invasion. Which, irkingly enough, had given her a ridiculously long list of names. Since she'd initially left the team, more than three years ago now, she'd wheedled it down. Now she had four very prime options. Lex Luthor, Victor Strange, Black Manta, and Count Vertigo topped the bill. All of them had gone met her with particularly strong dislike in the year she'd tried to continue her hero life without Wally at her side, undoubtedly in response to Tigress trading sides. The last of which also had a history with Green Arrow to tack onto motive.

But who was the one that forced this new life on her? She couldn't tell. But someday she'd find out. And a feeling in her gut told her it was coming soon.

"What's the matter? They run out of jello?"

Sitting alone at one of the round tables in the Watchtower's dream-like food center, which he had no doubt was influenced by Uncle Barry, Wally probably had looked like he was brooding. But he lifted his gaze with a smile as he was joined by four of his closest friends. Nightwing regarded him with a coy smirk and folded arms.

"Nah," Wally said, shaking his head. "I was just pining for one of Miss M's cookies."

"Sure you were," the younger man scoffed, but his smile broadened as the foursome took up seats. "Or maybe Captain Cold nearly whipped your butt today."

"As if!" Wally laughed.

"Well if it is cookies," the green-skinned woman said with a smile as she floated closer. "You're always welcome to come visit us in Chicago, you know." To which her boyfriend rolled his eyes, making M'gann chuckle. Then she gave Wally a kiss on the cheek as she went to sit at Superboy's side.

"So what's up, guys?" Wally asked, looking from one face to another. "Bart on another sugar high?"

Conner snorted, folding his arms across the S logo on his shirt as he leaned back in his chair. "No more than usual."

"Hey, _I'm_ not the one who introduced him to soda," Wally defended with a smirk as he raised his hands. "That one's all on Wondergirl and Robin."

The original Young Justice team shared a few chuckles and Wally let his gaze fall back to where he'd been moving his mashed potatoes around with a fork. And his mind drifted too. It had been four months. It was creeping up on Halloween. One of his favorite holidays, second only to Thanksgiving. It was a love that must run in the family since Bart had picked his costume out in July, but Wally just couldn't get into it. He wasn't even sure he was going to dress up this year. It just felt wrong.

He knew why, of course. Artemis wasn't there. She'd loved Halloween just even more than he did! It had to do with her past. Actually, he was willing to bet it had also been part of why she became a hero. So that she could show herself to the world as someone other than Sportsmaster's daughter.

"Watchtower to Wally! Come back into orbit!" A set of gloved fingers snapped in front of his nose.

"Huh?" Wally blinked, dragging himself out of memories of life in Palo Alto when Artemis had decided they'd dress up as Bonnie and Clyde, to find all four friends watching him with varying levels of concern. He quickly flashed a smile. "Hey, yeah, I'm fine! Uh... what was the question?"

"We were just wondering if you are enjoying your new roll with the league, my friend," Kaldur explained.

"Oh, yeah, been a blast," Wally answered quickly with another large smile. "But I'm not really league. I'm only doing this gig in Keystone and Central so that Uncle Barry can have some time with Aunt Iris and the twins."

"So you're still thinking of leaving?" M'gann asked, twisting her fingers pensively.

The smile was harder to force now and Wally found himself glancing down at his half-eaten lunch again. "I don't know," he said softly, giving a small smile for her concern. "I just... don't know." Then he sighed and pushed to his feet. "Well, it's been nice seeing you, guys. But, uh, I gotta get going."

It was as if the air had spoken the last of his words as Wally zipped out of sight, leaving only a gust of wind to follow him. Nightwing had barely gotten half way to his feet, the other three hadn't tried at all.

"He's getting faster," Conner observed as the youngest of their group sat down again.

"But he's eating less," M'gann countered, gesturing towards the forgotten tray. "He shouldn't be doing that."

Nightwing sighed, fully ready to blame himself for this. It was still the repercussions coming off his planned approach to the Reach problem. Pinching the bridge of his nose, effectively scrunching the smooth material of his mask, Nightwing scooted the tray towards his friends. "Here," he sighed. "If you take this, I'll take him."

They may not have been thrilled with the idea, but his teammates nodded, each looking a little despaired as the younger man jogged out of the room. Kaldur was the first to move, reaching across the spot Nightwing had vacated to pull the mess of food closer.

"You think he'll get him to come around?" Conner asked.

M'gann shrugged, slouching forward to rest against her hand. "It's Wally," she said, glancing towards the doorway. "Even when we were younger it took him a while to bounce back... He's making progress, though. Right? I mean, Wonder Woman said this was his second tray full!"

Kaldur merely sighed. "I do not think our Flash was planning on eating this particular tray of food," he informed them and turned the tray towards them. "Tell me what you see and I believe we will have our answer."

Conner and M'gann exchanged glances before leaning forward to examine the tray of strangely arranged potatoes, peas, and meatloaf. It was almost artistic. The potatoes had been smoothed to one end of the plate and down the side in a flowing wave. The meatloaf had been cut into something like an oval or heart shape above an upside-down T. Green peas bordered the bottom of the plate thickly, but there were a few sectioned in two little clusters on top of the oval chunk of meatloaf.

"Oh my gosh," M'gann gasped behind her hands.

Superboy openly stared. "Artemis."

Kaldur nodded and the trio shared a heartbroken glance before their gazes went to the door leading from the cheerful eating place.

_**A/N:**__ I really wonder where I'm going with this sometimes... Don't worry, I'm aiming to get the next bit up soon enough. I just have to take a sledge hammer to it to some degree... Thanks for all the positive feedback! I'm thrilled to hear that my story's not horrible! _


End file.
